Moonlight

Part 6

It was early afternoon when Stevie was woken up again. This time she felt something cold and wet against her cheek. Sulamith had obviously recovered from her adventures at the beach and was finally up again to greet her mistress. She was currently giving Stevie dog kisses, licking all over her face.

"Sula, baby, stop it." Stevie said after some time. "It's enough now."

Taking her dog away from her face, she settled back under the covers, Sulamith now securely in her arms.

"Did you come here to wake me?" She asked while her fingers ran through the soft fur. "I thought I told Lindsey to do that."

A voice coming from the doorway nearly startled her. "I did. I let her in here."

"I can think of nicer ways to be woken." Looking back down, Stevie continued. "Not that you didn't do a wonderful job."

"Since she just came out of her hiding place under your dragon couch I thought I'd let her wake you up."

"Oh, my poor baby. What did they do to you?" She was looking at her dog with a worried and scowling expression. "And I told you to not run around so much anymore. You're an old lady."

"Stevie." Lindsey interrupted her.

She looked up to where he still stood in the door.

"I doubt she really understands what you're saying." It would forever amuse him how she treated her dog as if it was another child.

"Oh, you don't know that for sure." She was scowling him now.

"Whatever." He dismissed. "You wanted to get up and it's just after two."

"Tell the little monsters I'll be down in a bit." She laughed.

Getting out of the bed, Stevie let Sulamith lie down there. It was something that Stevie and Lindsey had fought about countless of times. Both were having very different opinions about having a dog in their bed. While Stevie had spent years with her dogs as her only constant company, spoiling them rotten and allowing nearly everything as long as they behaved, including staying in bed with her at night, Lindsey didn't want the dogs in the bed. In the end they had compromised that they had to stay out of the bedroom during the night. As long as Stevie would be alone at home or, like that day, sleep her jet lag off, Sulamith was allowed into the bedroom and the bed, much to Lindsey's annoyance.

"Why are you allowed to call them little monsters when I get scowled at for saying it?" He asked, walking over to sit on the bed while Stevie was already in her closet.

"Cause I'm their mother." She frowned. "And I don't mean it."

"As if I do." Lindsey scowled.

"And I only quote you."

"What if I say I'm quoting you? And can you please come out here when I talk to you?"

For everybody on the outside it would seem they were not too far from fighting. But they both heard that fine humorous undertone hidden under all the playful bickering.

"But you would be quoting yourself since you were the first to call them monsters." Stevie argued, trying to find the clothes she wanted to wear. "No, I can't get out of here, I'm getting dressed."

"So you'll be downstairs in an hour." He began to tap his fingers on the mattress.

"Funny." She replied dryly.

"No, reality." Lindsey countered.

"It's not true and you... urgh, damn it." She cursed before banging a door close, finally remembering where the missing piece she was looking for was.